Loving Priestess
by Heart's Innocence
Summary: Loving a priestess isn't so easy when she puts honor above all, especially her heart. A Chikane and Himeko fairy tale.


**Disclaimer:** KNM doesn't belong to me, but in my dream, it does ;P

**Author: **I hope you'll give this story a chance ^_^ And before reading, I'd recommended finding some Japanese music similar to Inuyasha's background melody. It will make this story more enjoyable. Thank you!

Everyone, check this out. I thought this was pretty cool. **www(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=0Wxeg88KKcA**

Music I was listening to while writing: **www(.)endlessyoutube(.)com/watch?v=qFrRSUjAObQ&feature=related**

* * *

Party atmosphere was not her cup of tea. The eighteen years old sneaked around the backdoor and took refuge under a big sakura tree. The stars shone brightly and the sound of summer cicadas heard loudly.

Himeko leaned against the big tree and thought about leaving to go home. Her friend Mako had invited her to the party in hope she will meet a nice boy, big mistake.

Himeko sighed, knowing the chance of that happening was zero. She did not want to date anyone. She just wanted to find that special someone. The person that would make her heart beats so hard that it hurts. She was not a masochist or anything of that sort. She was just a girl searching for love.

"Watch out!" a ball struck her head.

Himeko grabbed her head in pain. _Ouch, that hurts. Definitely a sign. I guess it's time for me to leave._

"I'm sorry, Hime-chan," Mako apologized.

"Mouuu, Mako-chan. I think I'm going to leave now. The mosquitoes are eating me alive. You didn't tell me that your friend lived in the country. It's so dark here," the blonde made a face.

"Sorry, you head on home. I'm going to stay over tonight. I haven't seen her in years so we got a lot of catching up to do." Mako heard a girly scream yelling out her name from inside the house.

"I understand, "Himeko gave the brunette a quick hug, "good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

Mako's friends and families waved goodbye as they watched the white car pulled into the dark of night on dirt road.

She made sure to drive slowly since there were small to large sized rocks everywhere. She also cannot see the street very well. "Maybe this was a bad idea." Himeko scanned the area looking for any possible street sign. _None. _She had not seen any houses or temples around either.

"Weird, I thought I saw a girl." Himeko squinted her eyes in the left direction, checking to make sure she was not seeing thing.

"AHHHHH!" She pressed down on the brake pedal.

A tall blue haired girl walked in front of her car as if the car was not there to begin with.

The girl continued walking along the right side of the road. There was little dirt on her wooden sandal, simple red hakama, and white long sleeve kimono shirt. As she walked, the wind caressed her dark blue hair and clothing.

Himeko was enchanted to say the least. She quickly scrolled down her window and poked her head out.

"Excuse me! Miss! Can you help me? I can't find my way back onto the main road." The girl seemed to hear her and stopped walking. She turned around to look at Himeko. "Wow. She's really beautiful." Himeko blushed. _So, what if she's a girl, beauty is be admire. _

The blonde got out of the car and ran up to the girl. She tripped along the way. So much for making a good first impression. The blonde had dirt all over her face and t-shirt and short.

She felt two strong arms helping her up.

"Are you okay?" The soft smooth voice asked.

"Hehe, sorry, my friend told me I'm quite clumsy. I guess they were right."

"Do you want to go back to my place to wash up? It is not far from here. Only half a mile." The tall girl watched as Himeko looked around for any sign of a house.

"I live in a temple near the river. If you look hard enough, you can see the roof from here over that tree." The girl pointed her finger in the left direction. Sure enough, Himeko could see what looked like a dark outline of a small temple.

"Can I ask you something?" The girl nodded her head. "What are you doing out so late? The night is so dark."

"I am taking a walk. The moon is calling me tonight." She simply answered which made Himeko more confused.

"If you open your heart, you will be able to hear the sounds of nature. You will be able to hear their cries, their laughs, their wishes, and most of all, their wisdoms. The priestess had told me that their callings are utmost important." The girl gave Himeko a 'please don't ask look'.

"Oh." Himeko did not know how to respond to such statement. "Is it okay if I drive my car to your temple?"

"No, we do not allow machine near our home. Forgive us." The girl bowed her head in apology.

"It's okay. I'll park it away from the road, although it's hard to tell which is road and which is not." Himeko did not know why she was so trusting, especially toward a stranger. Who knew, the girl might be lying and luring her into a death trap. Her mind was telling her no but her heart was screaming yeeeeesss, to go with her!

Both walked side by side in the comfort of the night.

* * *

"We have arrived." Chikane whispered.

"Wow, I'm actually standing under a torii. And look, there really is a temple." The girl looked hurt at hearing that the blonde admitted to not trusting her words earlier.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that." The smaller girl unexpectedly hugged the tall girl. The receiver went stiffed, never been hugged by anyone other than her family members before.

_Such a soft and warm body. Why is my heart beating erratically? _The initiator thought.

_Cough_

The girl jumped away from Himeko's touch.

Himeko watched as an old priestess ascended the temple stair. Her outfit was similar to that of her new friend's.

"Who is this child?" The old woman looked straight into Himeko's innocent eyes, searching.

"She fell and wished to come here to wash up." The girl watched with interest between her caretaker and her new friend. She was surprised to see the old woman smiles. Strange, she never smiles.

"Come in, come in, child. Let this old woman takes care of you." She took Himeko's hand and pulled her around to a side door. "Chikane, go warm up the water."

Did not need to be asked twice, Chikane ran to do her task.

"Thank you." Himeko was happy that she had accepted Chikane's offer. The warm bath looked inviting. She took off her clothes and got into the big tub made out of big pebbles stacking on top of each other.

"I'll wash your clothes and hang it out to dry. It would be best if you spend the night since it is already late." Chikane said with eyes closed. She brought along some towels and a plain white yukata, laying them next to the tub but far enough so they would not soak in the bath water.

Himeko gave an endearing smile. _So beautiful._ She caught herself staring at Chikane. "We haven't introduced our self yet." Himeko thought aloud.

"My apology... I do not know my true name, but Oba-sama told me that my new name is Chikane Himemiya." The girl bowed her head.

"Himeko Kurusugawa," responded the city girl.

Time seemed to stop as both absorbed in each other's name. _Such beautiful name._ Both thought at the same time.

"Ah, I better go." Chikane tried to leave.

"No, stay. I-I want us to talk. I want to learn about you." Himeko confessed while nervously playing with a strain of her hair. She did not dare look at Chikane's pretty face. It would only make her blush some more.

"If you wish," Chikane sat down where she stood. Face looking at Himeko's direction but eyes still closed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You," Himeko whispered.

"Me?" Chikane did not seem to mind. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything," the blonde blurted before covering her mouth with both hands.

Chikane was silent for a moment before caving into Himeko's wish. "I'm not at all special. Oba-sama found me in front of her doorstep and took me in as her child. She became both my mother and my teacher. I have four 'sisters' and one 'brother'. We all live in peace, using what we can from the land. All of us vowed to live a simple life and to give our hearts to Kami, the gods and spirits of the earth. Two days from now, I will become officially a priestess. Oba-sama will hold a ritual for me where I will vow to give my heart to no one but to Kami."

Himeko interrupted, "C-can I stay and see?"

Chikane nodded her head. "It will be an honor to have you stay. Now, it's your turn, tell me about you."

"Well, I live in the city with my roommate, Mako-chan. We both attend KuMi University. I'm studying to be a photographer and hoping to travel the world some day. Both my parent died in a car accident, and I have no family. Mako is my only family. She's like a big sister I never had, always looking out for me. Also, I like foods and cute animals," Himeko tried to rake her mind but found nothing," Um, that's about it." Himeko sneaked a glance at Chikane. She blushed when she saw just how beautiful the other looked with her eyes closed, such a peaceful face.

"Himeko! Chikane! It's time for bed." Oba declared loudly from behind the door.

Chikane hurriedly got up and tried to feel her way to the door. Of course, that did not work out. She ended up hitting her head on a nearby post.

Himeko giggled_. Maybe my bad luck is affecting her too._ "Five feet to your right."

Chikane thanked and left as quickly as her legs can carry her.

An hour later, Chikane lead Himeko into a small room. "I'm sorry that there is not any available room. This is my room, so we will have to share. We do not have bedding but we do have comfy blanket and pillow." Dressed in a dark blue yukata, she strolled to the center of the room where a medium sized mat, one long pillow, and a blanket were laid out neatly. We do not have a lot of money, so I apologize if this does not meet your standard." Chikane was about to bow again but Himeko stopped her.

"No no no, don't bow because of that. I'm very happy and grateful that you're letting me stay, really I am. If you bow, I will feel so horrible that I had imposed on you. Actually, I should be thanking you for everything." Himeko ranted.

Chikane, with an amused face, listened to Himeko. She continued to talk about nothing in particular and cannot seem to pause herself. She found this information about the girl to be quite cute. Chikane helped the blonde by taking her hand and pulling her over to the handmade mat. "Which side would you like?"

Himeko thought about it. "It doesn't matter. You pick." Chikane just gracefully sat down where she stood, which was the right side.

"Let us sleep. It has been a tiring day, and I cannot seem to keep my eyes open much longer." Before Himeko knew it, Chikane was sound asleep.

Seeing her sleep so peacefully, Himeko gave out a yawn. _Sleep does sound like a good idea at the moment._

Shockingly, Himeko was the first to wake up. When she tried to move her arms to stretch, she found she was unable to accomplish the simple action. Looking down, Chikane had both of her arms wrapped around the blonde, snuggling tightly onto her body. A tint of red blush slowly spread across her cheek. _I hope Chikane wakes up soon. _

Chikane did wake up an hour later. She did not notice Himeko and sleepily got up and walked out of the room. Himeko was about to call the miko but decided not. She looked around the small room. There was only a single small bamboo table and a painting. The guest got up and got a closer look. It was watercolor base and looked like two symbols crossing each other, one of the moon and the other of the sun.

The symbol looked eerily familiar. She sworn that she had seen the sun design somewhere before. Moving her head in different angle, she hoped that something would click.

"Himeko, what are you doing?" Chikane walked up next to her new friend. "You found my painting… When I was little, I saw this in my dream. Oba told me that it might be Kami hinting me about my destiny." Chikane made sure Himeko was looking at her. "I want to show you something."

"Ah! What are you doing?" Himeko smacked her eyes shut.

Chikane smiled and turned so her backside was facing Himeko. She slowly pulled off her yukata. "Open your eyes, my new friend."

Himeko slowly opened her eyes before gasping."It's the moon symbol."

Chikane slowly pulled her shirt back up. "Come, breakfast is waiting. Oba will be mad if we are late. She will surely punish us."

While eating, Himeko suddenly asked. "Where is everyone? Chikane-chan, didn't you say that you have sisters and brother here too?"

"They are away in the forest and will be home later today. I am confident that they will welcome you with open arms." The miko assured.

"And if they don't, no dinner for any of them." Oba gave Himeko a thump up.

"Oba-sama, you are acting out of character." Chikane thought aloud.

"I just can't help myself, Himeko is so adorable. Why can't any of you be adorable? Five girls who act as if they are out to conquer the world and love to fight. You girls are more like samurai than miko." Oba complained, voicing out her distress. "You're the oldest Chikane. You have to set example for the little one."

Chikane bowed her head in shame.

"Please, don't be mad at her. She's the oldest therefore she has to be strong to take care of everyone. " Himeko tried to help but stopped herself when she saw Oba's angry face.

"Himeko, you must understand. Fighting is not the answer. It will only lead to sadness and sorrow. We are priestess, servant of the gods. We do not quarrel and we do not harm."

Himeko went silent but gained some courage few seconds later. "B-but, sometime we have to fight to survive. When my parent died I was left alone in this world, a family adopted me just like Oba adopted Chikane. At first, they took care of me and allowed me to go to school. Two years later, my adopted father changed. He became violence, yelling and hitting me whenever he feels like. He told me that I was trash and should go to hell because that's where my parent was. One night, he came into my room, beat up my face, and kicked my body. When I saw the knife he was holding, I knew he was going to kill me. I fought back. I kicked him, but he was stronger. I saw a lamp and used it to smash his head. He was bleeding but was living. Violence saved me that night."

Oba's anger disappeared quickly. The old woman walked around the table and gave the frail girl a comforting hug.

"She's right, Oba-mama. We might be priestesses but we also have to learn the way of samurai in order to defend our home from intruder. Onee-san will teach us how to become stronger." Sui (def: water age 16) happily proclaimed.

"Hai, way of the samurai," Kaji (def: fire age 10), the youngest, chirped.

"We must defend our home from bad people," Chi (def: earth age 13) added.

"Stronger we will become," Aria (def: air age 15) ran up and gave Chikane a big hug.

Kane (def: metal age 11) the only male in the family and second youngest, sniffed his nose. "Obii, don't be mad at Onee-san."

Oba sighed; the war was over before it even began. "Okay, okay. Let's all prepare for the ritual tomorrow." She turned to look at Himeko. "Can I ask your help?"

The blonde grinned. "Anything, Oba-san."

"Can you go pick up something for me? It's over the mountain and will take four walking hours."

"But Oba-sama. That is too far for her to walk. It took us forever to make it to the top of the mountain the first time." Chikane cried.

"Stop it, Chikane. She's a grown girl. She'll be fine." Oba ignored the eldest. "Anyway, there's a shrine over there. I want you to go pick up some purple flower located near the front gate. It's very important that you make it back before sun down today so we can prepare for tomorrow's ceremony which will start at sun rise."

Himeko thought about it, four hours to get back and the sun will set in five hours. She still had one hour to spare. "I'll do it."

The blonde ran outside to get her short, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. If she was going to hike that long, she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. After changing, she waved her goodbye and took off in the direction of the mountain.

"Why did you that, Oba-sama? There are wild beasts up that mountain, not to mention the unpredictable weather. It's impossible to make it in four hours for a first timer." Chikane paced back and forth. Her five siblings became dizzy after watching her makes a hole on the wooden floor.

"She has potential…" Oba commented.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Chikane stopped.

"She has the potential to become a great priestess just like you. This is a test to see if she's capable of just that. I truly believe that you and she have the blessing of Kami to travel and better the world." Chikane did not like where Oba was going with this.

"Oba-sama, the mountain is dangerous and fills with creatures unseen by anyone. You are leading Himeko to her death. I cannot sit here and worry. I must go find her and help her." Chikane grabbed her sword and ran after Himeko.

"You must not help her in anyway. If you do, you will not become priestess because you are violating my order as head of this temple." The old priest warned.

It had been twenty minutes, and Himeko was one-third way up the mountain. The air was getting colder which did not help at all. At one point, she slipped over some wet grass and scratched her knee. It bled a little. She told herself that she was not going to let Oba and Chikane-chan down.

Sweating and tiring, she looked up at the dark gray sky. _Are you kidding me?_ A single drop of rain dripped on her nose. She shook it off. Another drop on her cheek and then a third and fourth and before long, the sky was pouring heavily. She knew that if she seeks cover until the rain subsides. She would not make it on time. So instead, she continued to walk in the rain.

Chikane watched the whole event while hidden within the tree branches. She wanted to tell the girl to go home and forget about this ridiculous excuse of a mission. Her determination to move forward was inspirational nonetheless.

It took her one hour and thirty minutes to reach the top. Her legs were throbbing in pain and every muscle in her body was stiff. For a moment, she thought about giving up and returning back to the temple but that would mean quitting what she had set out to do. _I'm no quitter, that's for sure._

One hour later, she stood in front of the shrine. Unable to stand any longer, she collapsed on the ground. _So tire, a nap would be nice. _Himeko thought about sleeping away her pain for a few minutes but knew that it will eat away her time. She used both of her arms to push herself up off the ground and proceed to crawl over to where the purple flowers were. She gave herself a high five and gently picked a dozen from the ground. No matter what happen from here back to the temple, the flowers must be safe.

The city girl slowly stood up on wobbly legs. She found a medium size branch that she used as a cane. With its support, she was able to climb back up the mountain, but this time, it took three hours long. The sun had already set thirty minutes ago. It was dark and Himeko became scared.

Back at home, Oba and her five daughters and son waited patiently. "Oba-mama, Himeko and Chikane aren't back yet. I'm worried." Sui nervously hugged her sister, Chi.

"Don't worry, Chikane won't let anything happens to Himeko. I truly believe that Himeko is the person whom we have been waiting for. She has the fire in her eyes and the courage in her heart. "She _will _return with the flower."

_What's that sound?_ Himeko spun around. _Nothing. My mind is imagining thing now that it's dark._

_Chirp chirp CHIRP_

A little bird flew at her face and hit the ground hard.

Its wings were bleeding profusely. Himeko kneeled down, dropping the dozen of flowers, and gently picked the bird up in her hands.

_GRRRRrrrrr _

Himeko's eyes grew wide. The pain seemed to disappear as adrenaline took over. She ran for her dear life, tripping over rocks and branches occasionally but always catching herself. She found a hiding place inside an old tree trunk. With the bird in hands, Himeko waited out until the beast gave up looking for her. Going back to get the flower was suicidal, so Himeko decided that she'll have to find another way to go back to the shrine and pick up some more flower. It would take all night to go back and forth but she was not going to let Oba and Chikane down.

As she was about to look for another way back down the mountain, a dozen of purple flowers dropped in front of her eyes. It landed on her muddy tennis shoes.

_Could this be the doing of Kami? _Himeko hurriedly grabbed the flowers and made a run home, to the temple, to where Chikane was waiting for her return.

Oba and the kids started a fire under the torii as they nervously pray to Kami for Himeko and Chikane's safety, especially Himeko's.

"Obii, look!" Kane excited screamed.

"She made it." Oba sighed a relief.

"I got the flowers!"Himeko happily cheered.

She gave Oba the flowers and excused herself to the bathhouse, wanting to wash away the mud and sweat. As she was about to enter the door, Chikane appeared out of nowhere and blocked her path. The miko did not say anything. Her head was also down so Himeko was unable to tell if she was mad or happy.

"I made it, Chikane-chan. I got the flowers for you and Oba, for the rit—"

"Enough" Chikane looked up. Her blue eyes were glowing brightly against dark hair. " Baka."

She pulled Himeko into a hug.

"Baka, baka," Chikane whispered into the blonde's ears.


End file.
